Vacuum and pressure pickup device for home and commercial vacuum cleaners

ABSTRACT

An improved home and commercial vacuum cleaner employing pressure and vacuum functions for picking up dirt and lightweight articles from a rug surface.

Unlted States Patent 11 1 3,694,848

Alcala 1 51 Oct. 3, 1972 [54] VACUUM AND PRESSURE PICKUP 868,901 10/1907 Williams ..15/345 X DEVICE FOR HOME AND 1,985,849 12/1934 Allen..15/422 X COMMERCIAL VACUUM CLEANERS 1,965,614 7/1934 Sellers ..15/345X 2,538,643 1/1951 Gregory ..15/383 X [721 Frank 6950 1,422,100 7/1922Hoff ..15/383 x Carefree 8533' 1,936,369 1 1/1933 Riebel, Jr. et al..15/402 [22] Wed: FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS [21] 167,076 2/1956Australia .1 15/345 552,732 12/1956 Italy ..l5/346 [52] US. Cl...l5/346, 15/364, 15/383, 892,658 3/1962 Great Britain ..15/322 15/402 v[51] Int. Cl. ..A47l 5/14 Primary Examiner-Edward L. Roberts [58] Fieldof Search 15/345, 346, 363, 364, 367, Assistant Examiner-C. K. Moore15/366, 402, 405, 415, 383 Att0rney-Warren F. B. Lindsley [56]References Cited [57] ABSTRACT UNITED STATES PATENTS An improved homeand commercial vacuum cleaner employing pressure and vacuum functionsfor picking 3,268,942 8/1966 Rossnan ..15/346 up dirt and lightweightanicles'from a rug Surface 2,012,640 8/1935 Sh1pman ..l5/346 1,281,92510/ 19 1 8 F arnsworth ..15/346 3 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDUET3 I972 SHEET 1 0F 2 \mmmmk fl'vmvx 141.0440.

AT TORNEK PATENTEDnms I972 3.694.848

55.5 l' l lb- ,1]

INVENTOR. FTMNK HLCALA.

Midi-' ATTORNEK VACUUM AND PRESSURE PICKUP DEVICE FOR HOMEAND-COMMERCIAL VACUUM CLEANERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Thisinvention relates to an improved cleaner for home and commercial use ofthe vacuum cleaner type, and more particularly to an improved head ordevice for picking up articles such asdirt and the like from rug coveredsurfaces by a combination of pressure and vacuum functions.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART While it is known that various types ofvacuum cleaning devices have been proposed and used for a variety ofpurposes, both domestic and industrial, there still remains a need foran efficient, inexpensive cleaner that will gather effectively litter ofallsorts, dirt and dust from bare and carpeted floors and particularlyfrom carpets of the shag or long, thick fabric type. The prior artvacuum cleaners do not have the ability to remove the dirt effectivelyfrom shag rugs since the fibers, if tangled, block the effects of thesuction from reaching the base of the rug where the dirt gravitates.

Therefore, to improve on the prior art structures a new and improvedmobile cleaner is provided which employs a jet nozzle arrangement in asuction hood of a pick up head so that the blasts of air are directed,substantially perpendicularly into the rug and to its base where thedirt and litter are located to dislodge it and move it toward thesurface of the rug fibers where suction forces it directly into acollection bag or receptacle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention claimed animproved vacuum cleaner for domestic and industrial use is providedwhich directs jets of air under pressure directly into the rug in such amanner that the dirt is moved upwardly from the base of the rug to aidthe suction forces.

It is, therefore, one object of this invention to provide an improvedcleaner of the vacuum cleaner type utilizing air under pressure todislodge the dust, dirt and assorted litter.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved vacuumcleaner in which jets of air are directed perpendicularly into thesurface of the rug to utilize the full forces of the air under pressureto dislodge the litter.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved vacuumcleaner wherein the suction forces in the suction hood of the cleanersubstantially surround the jet nozzles except where the jets of airenter the rug.

A still further object of this invention, is to provide an improvedcleaner in which a plurality of jets are arranged laterally of thedirection of movement of the suction hood in the center of the housingand juxtapositioned to a comb for parting the fibers of the rug prior toreceiving the jets of air.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a suction hoodfor a vacuum cleaner wherein a revolving comb and a fixedly mounted combare positioned one on each side of a plurality of jets all arranged inthe suction hood laterally of the direction of movement of the cleaner.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an improvedvacuum cleaner employing a plurality of jets arranged substantially inthe center of thev suction shroud and mounted on a pair of spacedrunners for engaging the floor.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds and the features of novelty whichcharacterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity inthe claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The present invention may be morereadily described by reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning device embodying theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view partly broken away of the suction-pressurehood shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of FIG. 2 taken along the line 3-3;

FIG. 4 is a bottom partially broken away view of the suction-pressurehood shown in FIGS. 1-3

FIG. 5 is a modification of the suction-pressure hood shown in FIG. 2employing a rotating comb;

FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the structure shown in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a further modification of the structure shown in FIGS. l-6wherein a stationary comb is inserted in the housing of the pressurejets.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to thedrawing by characters of reference FIG. I discloses a carriage formoving over a surface for collecting dirt and the like and hereinafterreferred to as a cleaning suction-pressure head 10 connected by a pairof inlet and outlet conduits or hoses 11 and 12 forming a wand 13 to apower driven cleaner 14. Cleaner 14 may comprise conventional suctionand pressure creating means (not shown) in a wheel mounted canister 15.

Hose 11 is the suction duct having one end 16 connected to thepreviously mentioned suction creating means in the canister 15 and itsother end 16' connected to a housing defining a cavity called a suctionhood 17 of the suction-pressure head 10 and terminating in a port 18shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The suction creating means in the canister may in clude a fan, a blower,or an air impelling means of one type or another driven by an electricmotor (all not shown) contained in canister 15. It should be noted thatthe end of the suction hose ll terminating in the canister is adapted tobe connected through a removable fitting to an air pervious, dirtimpervious, air filtration and dirt storage bag in canister 15.

As shown in FIG. 1 the pressure hose 12 has one end 21 connected to afitting 22 on canister 15 which may be connected to a housingsurrounding the air pervious bag in the canister or to a separate sourceof air under pressure. The other end 21' of hose 12 is connected to thepressure jet nozzle device 20.

Ends 16' and 21' of hoses 11 and 12, respectively are connected tosuction-pressure head 10 by means of pivotally mounted fittings 23 and24 which can be moved laterally of the suction-pressure head 10 in thewell known manner without losing suction or pressure in the head throughleakage to atmosphere.

The wand 13 comprises a handle member 25 which together with rigidcoverings 26 and 27 form an outer casing for the hoses 11 and 12 betweenthe handle member 25 and the canister 15. In this manner thesuction-pressure head may be readily moved across the surface to becleaned. The suction-pressure head 10 as shown in FIGS. 1-4 may bemounted on skis or skids 28 and 29 which cause the suction-pressure headto move freely over the surface to be cleaned. It should be recognizedthat wheels may be used in place of the skids if so desired.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 the pressure jet nozzle device comprises ahousing 30 extending across hood l7 laterally to the direction ofmovement of the suction-pressure head 10. Housing 30 is connectedthrough an integrated coupling 31 to fitting 24 which is connected topressure hose 12. Housing 30 is provided with a plurality of openings 32which direct air under pressure perpendicularly into the surface to becleaned. This is particularly important when cleaning shag rugs sincethe fibers of the rug are long and will distort or deflect off of itunder air pressure directed laterally at the rug surface. The housing isalso placed midway between the front and back of the hood 17 so thatsuction may be applied to the suction-pressure head 10 on both sides .ofit so that air and dirt deflected off of the rug surface may be readilydrawn into the suction hose 11.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate a modification of the suctionpressure head 10shown in FIGS. 1-4 wherein a power driven rotating comb 35 is arrangedin the housing perpendicular to its direction of movement during acleaning operation. The comb is driven by a belt 36 connected to anelectric motor 37. Motor 37 is energized by electric power furnished tothe motor through wires which may be threaded through one of the hoses11 or 12 to canister 15.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 the comb 35 comprises two rows of spacedlyarranged teeth 38 on opposite sides of and extending longitudinally of acylinder 39.

FIG. 7 illustrates a further modification of the structure shown inFIGS. l-6 wherein a stationary comb 40 is arranged to snap into the baseof the pressure jet nozzle device 20 and comprises a row of teeth 41extending laterally across the suction-pressure head 10. Each tooth 41comprises an arm bent at an angle as shown,

so that it extends downwardly and rearwardly of the pressure jet nozzledevice 20. The stationary comb parts the fibers of the rug so that thesuction rearwardly of the pressure jet nozzle device 20 may easily drawthe dirt and other litter from the base of the rug.

Although but a few embodiments of the present inwalls, inlet and outletconduits connected to said cavity of said housing, I

one of said conduits being connected to a source of pressure and theother of said conduits being connected to a vacuum producing means,

said inlet conduit being conducted to a jet producing device arrangedwithin the cavity of said housing laterally of the direction of movementof said carriage and spacedly arranged between the forward and rearwardwalls of the cavity,

said device defining a plurality of nozzles spacedly arranged along thelength of the device for directing jets of air under pressure outwardlyof said opening of said opening of said cavity,

said outlet conduit opening into said cavity so as to produce a vacuumaround said nozzle device,

said jets .of air being directed substantially perpendicularly to saidsurface for blasting dirt from said surface into the space of saidcavity under the influence of the vacuum of said outlet conduit,

a comb mounted on said jet producing device adjacent said nozzles, saidcomb comprising a plurality of teeth bent to extend at least partiallyalong its length outwardly of said opening in the direction of movementof said carriage while said carriage is moving in one direction only.

2. The carriage set forth in claim 1 in'further combination with:

a rotatably mounted comb, said rotatably mounted comb beingsubstantially parallelly arranged with said jet producing device withinsaid cavity of said housing and comprising two rows of spacedly arrangedteeth on opposite sides of a rotatably mounted cylinder and extendinglongitudinally thereof,

and means for rotating said cylinder.

3. The vacuum-pressure carriage set forth in claim 2 in furthercombination with a pair of spacedly arranged skids mounted on andextending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said housing overthe sides of said housing defining the opening of said cavity and in thedirection of movement of said carriage.

1. A carriage for moving over surface for collecting dirt and the likecomprising: a housing defining a cavity having an opening outward of theside of said housing juxtapositioned to said surface and having forwardand rearward walls, inlet and outlet conduits connected to said cavityof said housing, one of said conduits being connected to a source ofpressure and the other of said conduits being connected to a vacuumproducing means, said inlet conduit being conducted to a jet producingdevice arranged within the cavity of said housing laterally of thedirection of movement of said carriage and spacedly arranged between theforward and rearward walls of the cavity, said device defining aplurality of nozzles spacedly arranged along the length of the devicefor directing jets of air under pressure outwardly of said opening ofsaid opening of said cavity, said outlet conduit opening into saidcavity so as to produce a vacuum around said nozzle device, said jets ofair being directed substantially perpendicularly to said surface forblasting dirt from said surface into the space of said cavity under theinfluence of the vacuum of said outlet conduit, a comb mounted on saidjet producing device adjacent said nozzles, said comb comprising aplurality of teeth bent to extend at least partially along its lengthoutwardly of said opening in the direction of movement of said carriagewhile said carriage is moving in one direction only.
 2. The carriage setforth in claim 1 in further combination with: a rotatably mounted comb,said rotatably mounted comb being substantially parallelly arranged withsaid jet producing device within said cavity of said housing andcomprising two rows of spacedly arranged teeth on opposite sides of arotatably mounted cylinder and extending longitudinally thereof, andmeans for rotating said cylinder.
 3. The vacuum-pressure carriage setforth in claim 2 in further combination with a pair of spacedly arrangedskids mounted on and extending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis ofsaid housing over the sides of said housing defining the opening of saidcavity and in the direction of movement of said carriage.